How an Idea of ‘Zero Wastage’ on Fruit Processing and Value Addition Saved the Orange Cultivation in Darjeeling Hills An Inspiring Story of Nirmal Farm

Besides pleasant weather, the ethereal natural beauty, the Himalayan cold breeze, mighty glacier of Kanchenjunga, musical fl ow of the Teesta, lush green tea gardens and the breath-taking sunrise, Darjeeling is also a great destination of the world-famous Darjeeling mandarin or orange. The Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulate, Blanco) is a major cash crop of the Darjeeling Hills. Mandarin orange is being cultivated since time immemorial in this Himalayan belt. It is a native fruit of Sikkim and Darjeeling, and it is very popular all over the country. The valleys of Teesta and Rangit rivers and their tributaries in Sikkim and adjoining Darjeeling offer an ideal Himalayan climate for the cultivation of mandarin. In hilly terrain, the crop is cultivated on small farm terraces where the application of production technology is minimal. The crops have played an important role in the life of the farmers as it is the main source of their livelihood and a major source of cash for a large number of small and medium growers. It has made hill agriculture vibrant and improved the economic condition of the farmers of this region. In Sikkim, mandarin is cultivated in an area of approximately 8.32 th ha, with a total average annual production of approximately 14.39th MT (APR, 2010-11, Govt. of Sikkim). The area under Mandarin in Darjeeling hill stands at 3.935 th ha with annual production of 38.60 th MT (JIT report, 2016-17, GoWB).